Many foods, especially just sweets, are usually highly processed and concentrated. So that they maintain certain flavors, are stable and durable, additives are used. These must be listed in the list of ingredients (E numbers). In principle, additives must be harmless to health. However, in certain sensitive groups of people, such as children, some additives can trigger allergic reactions.
Interactions largely unknown
The effects of the large number of additives and the interactions between them are unclear. This is another reason why foods for children in particular should contain as few different additives as possible, and only those that are not under criticism.
E-numbers and flavor enhancers:
In a brochure on E-numbers, the Federation of German Consumer Organizations also evaluates their suitability for children. A study by the University of Southampton has suggested in the journal The Lancet a link between the food colors tested by the EU E 102, E 104, E 110, E 122, E 124 and E 129 and hyperactivity in children.
Flavor enhancers, such as glutamate, and flavorings (especially artificial ones) are viewed particularly critically because children become accustomed to the uniform taste of industrially produced foods at an early age. This can lead to children no longer knowing the taste of natural foods or not finding it intense enough. As a result, they may remain loyal to “their” brands for life.
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) warns against the addition of citric acid and other acids, especially in beverages and confectionery, because this particularly promotes dental damage.
Recommendations: Less
The fact is that most people don’t mind such substances in food – the dose is far too small for that if you only snack occasionally. But in many cases, the ingredient lists on the packaging of German foods remain incomplete and confusing. Statisticians have calculated that every German consumes around 36 kilograms of household sugar per year.
Of this, 30 kilograms enter the body in a well-disguised way via beverages and sweets, baked goods and dairy products, pickles and preserves, soups and sauces, ketchup, ready-made meals, etc. This means that 33 kilograms of sugar are consumed per person. Converted, that makes 33 sugar cubes a day for everyone.
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends the following weighting: 55 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 25 to 30 percent fat and 12 to 15 percent protein. According to this recommendation, someone who consumes 2,000 calories a day could eat 275 to 300 grams of carbohydrates, 60 to 75 grams of protein and 55 to 65 grams of fat.
“5 a day”
As part of its “5 a Day” campaign, the DGE recommends five servings of vegetables and fruit for a complete diet to protect against diet-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. If you stick to this, smaller amounts of fruit gum certainly won’t hurt.
